Finding Somebody To Love
by BeTheDream
Summary: When Stella and Mac stop at the grocery store late one night, the last thing they expected to come home with is 3 neglected homeless children. Seeing them huddled together at the back of an alley broke their hearts, and they knew they had to help them. It went beyond their duty as NYPD officers. They had to do something to protect them.
1. Finders Keepers

**_A/N: New story! I'll try to keep this note short and sweet. I'll be updating every other week if you guys like it. Let me know if I should continue with it. If you have any questions, just ask and please leave a review if you like it, otherwise it may not continue!  
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or any of its characters._**

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_**Chapter One**_

A light shower of rain had begun falling over New York City as Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera left the office. It wasn't that cold outside, but the rain was making it unpleasant. Mac pulled out his umbrella and grabbed Stella by the waist. He held on to his fiancé, making sure that none of the rain got on her.

After spending all day and a great deal of the evening chasing after suspects, all Mac and Stella wanted to do was get back to their townhouse and crawl into bed. Stella rested her head against the cool window and closed her eyes while Mac drove. He expertly weaved in and out of the road lanes, his mind fully focused on what he was doing.

"Stell, you awake?" He asked, nudging her with his elbow.

She shifted in her seat and frowned. "Not anymore."

Mac shook his head and tried to stifle a chuckle. He found it almost endearing the way she got cranky when she was tired. Mac drove for ten more minutes before he pulled the car up outside a grocery store. The car coming to a halt was enough to wake Stella from her nap. She grumbled something about slow driving, traffic and finally being home before she realised where she was.

"Oh c'mon Mac! Can't we do this tomorrow? We have the whole weekend off." She complained.

She un-clicked her seatbelt and got out of the car regardless. Mac didn't say a word, he just laughed quietly to himself. They met in front of the car and began walking into the store. Stella grabbed a cart from the front and started making her way up the aisles. They filled the cart up with enough food to last them the week, throwing in a few treats every now and then. Usually, Stella hated food shopping when she was tired as she always ended up buying much more than they needed.

"Hey, Mac, do we need milk?" She asked, her eyes glancing over the fridge in front of her. When no reply came, she turned around to see where Mac had gone. "Mac?" She called out.

He wasn't close by so she took a few pints of milk from the shelf and placed them in the cart. She pushed the cart along the back of the store until she found what aisle he was lurking in. Stella looked at him in confusion. He was standing completely still at the end of the aisle, staring intently at one of the cashiers and a customer.

"Mac, what are you..." She began to say but Mac turned around to her and held his index finger up to his lips, signalling for her to be quiet.

Mac pointed over to where he was looking and pulled Stella closer so that she could hear what they were saying.

"I told you I didn't want you in the store again!" The cashier said angrily. His arms were folded across his chest defensively.

The girl he was talking too looked no more than 15. Her blonde hair hung limply in a pony tail and her face looked pale and sunken. Even under all her clothes, Stella could tell that the girl was painfully thin.

"Please?" The girl pleaded with tears in her eyes. "I'll do anything. It's only a dollar, please sir?"

"No." The man was hard-faced and stubborn. "Now open up your bag."

"I...no...why? I didn't steal anything, I swear." She sounded desperate.

Mac noticed how tightly she was gripping on the tattered rucksack in her hand. It didn't take a detective to realise that she probably had stolen something. Technically he and Stella were off the clock, but this seemed like it was getting out of hand and he felt compelled to help the girl.

"You take one side, I'll take the other." He whispered to Stella. "I don't want her to run from us."

"You think she's a runaway?" Stella asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but she looks like she needs help." Mac replied.

The two of them walked casually over to the counter. Mac waited for Stella to get to the other side of the girl before announcing themselves as NYPD officers. They both held up their badges. As Mac predicted, the girl turned to run, but her path was blocked by Stella, who caught the girl by her shoulders.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Mac questioned in a stern voice.

"This kid wants me to just give her this stuff and she's been stealing." The man replied.

"That's not true!" The girl insisted tearfully. "I just...I don't enough money for it."

"Miss, could you please open up your bag?" Mac asked.

The girl started shaking as she unzipped the bag. She chewed her lip nervously as she emptied the contents out onto the counter. What came out of the bag, no-one was expecting. It was mainly filled with toiletries, things like toothpaste, tampons, baby wipes and wash cloths. There were also a few pieces of food, all things that were in packages with long expiration dates.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Told ya she was stealing." The cashier said smugly.

"We'll pay for this." Stella said, without hesitation.

She glanced at Mac and he understood what she meant. Whoever this girl was, all she was doing was trying to survive. The chances are she was probably homeless and a runaway. Stella hated to see the girl like this. The least they could do was help her out.

Mac nodded in agreement. He pulled their own shopping cart forward and started unloading it onto the conveyor belt. Stella stayed at the other end with her arm firmly resting on the girls shoulders. She started packing up the groceries, making sure that all of the girl's things were in a separate bag. Once everything was bagged and paid for, they picked up everything and walked out of the store.

"Thank you so much." The girl said shyly. "I can't pay you back though."

"Look, why don't you come with us? We'll take you home." The girl shook her head. "We can take you to a shelter for the night?" Stella suggested.

A look of fear shot across the girls face. "No! I mean, thank you, but no. I'll be fine." She took the bag from Stella and said goodbye before walking off.

"Let's follow her for a while. At least then we can maybe find her again?" Stella held on to Mac's hand.

They walked down the street, keeping a safe distance from the girl. The rain had stopped now, but it left a bitter wind. Mac and Stella watched as the girl darted off down an alley. They sped up their pace to catch up with her. What they saw when they finally found her, made Stella's heart break.

Huddled up at the back of the alley were two young children, both looked soaking wet and freezing cold. The girl was standing over them, passing them each slices of bread and pieces of fruit. She draped a blanket around the two little ones and sat down in front of them.

"Oh my God" Stella whispered.

The couple walked cautiously and quietly to the back of the alley, not wanting to spook the kids. The closer they got, the more that could make out how old the younger two were. There was a little girl with bright blue eyes and a sullen expression who must've been around 5. The little boy who sat next to her had the biggest smile, despite the circumstances. He could've only been around 3.

"Piper, are they gunna take our food?" The little girl asked once she saw Mac and Stella approaching.

The girl they now knew as Piper jumped up and turned around. She looked ready to fight. She didn't know whether to be thankful or angry that she had been followed up here. Maybe they really could help her?

"We're not going to take anything sweetie. We're police officers, we want to help you." Stella smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks, but we don't need help. We'll be fine." Piper insisted.

"How long have you been living back here?" Mac asked, looking around.

Piper shrugged and looked behind her. "Maybe a couple of months, I don't know."

"Where are you parents?"

"None of us know who our dads are. Our mom is a crack-head, so I took them away." Piper said it so calmly, as if it was completely normal.

"Mommy is gone." The little boy nodded.

The little girl stood up and walked cautiously to Stella's side. She looked up at the woman curiously before tugging on Stella's pant leg. Stella crouched down in front of the girl so that they were at the same eye-level.

"Are you really police?" The girl asked.

"We are." Stella nodded.

She took her badge off of her hip and handed it to the little girl. Her eyes widened as Stella put the badge in her hands. She traced over the whole thing with her finger before passing it back to Stella.

"My name's Addison, what's your name?" Addison asked inquisitively.

"My name is Stella, and this is Mac." Stella pointed upwards.

"Piper is my big sister. Finn is my brother." The girl explained.

"Well it's lovely to meet you all." Stella smiled and stood back up.

"Piper, let us help you." Mac tried again.

"No! You're just gunna dump us in some care home and we'll be split up again. I'm not leaving them." Piper shouted through tears.

"Then come home with us, even if it's just for one night. You can clean up, have something to eat and get a decent night's sleep." Stella suggested.

It all sounded very appealing to Piper. She had promised herself that she would do whatever it takes to look after Finn and Addison. Stella and Mac could help them.

"Just for one night" Piper agreed somewhat reluctantly.

Stella breathed a sigh of relief. Piper picked up her bag and the blanket from the floor. She then picked Finn up from the floor. Stella held out her hand for Addison to take hold of. The little girl happily held on to her new friend and skipped by her side.

"Here, let me carry that." Mac offered, taking the bag from Piper's shoulder and holding it in his hand with the rest of the grocery bags.

"Thanks." Piper said quietly.

They loaded all of the bags into the back of the car. Without cars eats for the younger two, they would have to drive incredibly carefully. Piper sat in the middle seat and helped her sibling's buckle in. She stretched an arm across each of them, making sure they stayed sitting. They had only been driving for 5 minutes when Mac noticed that all 3 were asleep in the back of the warm car.

"We can't throw them into a foster home Mac." Stella stared out ahead at the road.

"We won't. At least, not until we know they're going to be together." Mac glanced backwards at the 3 of them.

"What kind of mother let's her kids sleep on the street for 2 months?" Stella said, anger building up inside her.

Mac didn't have an answer for her. They drove in silence until they reached home. Mac opened the back door and lifted Finn into his arms. He stirred slight but didn't wake. Next he did the same for Addison. Stella jostled Piper awake. Together they carried all the bags up the stairs and unlocked the door.

Piper's jaw dropped when she saw he inside of the house. Never in her life had she been in a place so grand. She followed Stella into the kitchen and set the bags down on the counter. Mac walked in with Finn and Addison still in his arms.

"Where should I put these two?" He asked quietly.

"Only one of the guest rooms is set up, so I guess that one. Are you okay to all share a bed tonight?" Stella asked Piper.

Piper nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you so much."

Mac left the room and took the younger two to bed. He awkwardly pulled back the bed covers and lay them down. He smiled as they fidgeted in their sleep. They looked so small, much smaller than they should. He was going to make it his number one priority to see that they were safe.

Piper followed Mac into one of the bedrooms while Stella went into her own room to try and find something they could wear to bed. She took out a set of pink pyjamas for Piper and 2 of Mac's t-shirts for Addison and Finn.

"You can change into these, Piper, the bathroom is at the end of the hall. If you bring me your clothes, I'll put them in the wash." Stella handed her the pyjamas.

Piper nodded and took the clothes. She walked down the hallway and shut the bathroom door behind her. With his arms now free, Stella tossed Mac one of the shirts. They carefully undressed the two and put on the clean shirts. Stella kissed each one of the forehead and gathered up their dirty clothes. Piper's clothes were in a pile outside the bathroom door. She scooped them up and headed downstairs.

Stella threw all the clothes into the washing machine and switched it on. While everything was washing she began to unpack all of the groceries. Her heart ached for the children that were now laying fast asleep upstairs. It wasn't fair that they had to go through this. They deserved to be loved and protected. This went beyond duty as a police officer; she knew she had to help them.

She was lost in her thoughts when she felt an arm snake around her waist. She turned around her rested her head on Mac's chest. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her.

"Everyone asleep?" She asked.

"Yep" He nodded. "Stella, you know you can't get too attached, right?"

"I know." She admitted quietly. "Mac, we have the weekend off any way, can we just keep them here while we find somewhere for them to go?"

"Of course. We said we'd help them, and we will. I'll call Flack tomorrow, get him to try and track down their mother."

They stayed together in the kitchen for a little while. The night had been far too exciting for them to go straight to sleep. Stella's main concern was that the children would get split up and lost in the foster care system, and she knew first-hand how rough that could be. Mac's main concern was Stella. He knew how involved she could get with cases and this one was closer to home.

It didn't take long before they both started feeling weary again. Once the washing was finished, Stella put all the clothes into the dryer and switched it on so that everything would be ready by morning. They headed up to bed and fell into a deep sleep, knowing that they had a long day ahead of them.


	2. Taking Care

**A/N: Wow! I am genuinely shocked at the response to the first chapter! I think I replied to everyone's review but to the guest reviewers, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this update :)  
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or any of its characters.**

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_**Chapter Two**_

Stella woke to the sound of crying coming directly from outside her bedroom door. It took her a moment to wake up and work out why exactly she could hear crying. Mac was fast asleep next to her. The alarm clock on the bedside table showed that it was only 5am. She pushed back the covers and got out of bed. When she opened the door she found Finn sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" Stella asked, closing the bedroom door and sitting down next to him.

Finn didn't answer. He just sniffed and rubbed his eyes. Stella picked him up and carried him downstairs to the kitchen. She rubbed circles on his back as they walked down. Slowly, his tears started to dry up. Stella sat him down on the kitchen counter. She got a tissue and gently wiped his eyes and nose.

"Do you want some warm milk Finn?" She asked.

Finn nodded and rubbed his eyes again. Stella took a small pan out of one of the cupboards and set it on the stove. Next she took out a carton of milk and poured a little bit into the pan. She switched the flame on low and the milk started heating up. She dug through the cupboards looking for a suitable cup. Tucked away at the back, she found one of Lucy Messer's old sippy cups. When the milk was warm, she poured it from the pan and into the cup.

Stella picked Finn up and rested him on her hip. With the cup in one hand, she carried the little boy into the living room and lay down on the couch with him in her lap. She lifted the cup up to Finn's lips and he took hold of it. Stella ran her fingers through his hair while he drank. His blonde hair was dirty and knotty. All 3 children needed a long hot bath. She wasn't sure when they were last able to get properly cleaned up. Soon, she felt Finn's body grow heavy and his breathing became shallow. She took the cup out of his hand and put it on the coffee table.

When Mac came downstairs a few hours later, he found Stella and Finn curled up together on the couch, both fast asleep. He smiled to himself and carefully placed a blanket over the top of them. He obviously wasn't careful enough though, because Stella's eyes flickered open and looked up at him.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." He laughed, kissing her forehead.

Stella yawned. "What time is it?"

"A little after 8. What time did you end up down here?" He sat down by Stella's feet and rested them on his lap.

"Around 5. He was sitting outside our room crying." Stella stroked his forehead.

"The girls aren't awake yet. If I make a start on breakfast, can you go get them up?" Mac asked.

Stella nodded and yawned again. Mac lifted Finn off of her and sat him on his lap. Stella rolled herself off of the couch and stretched her arms upwards. She slowly made her way upstairs and into the guest room.

"Hey buddy, are you gunna wake up for me?" Mac sat Finn up straight and rubbed his belly.

Finn opened up his eyes and stretched his arms. "Is it the day now?"

"Yeah, it's daytime now. Do you want to come and help me make breakfast?"

Finn nodded and put his arms around Mac's shoulders. Mac stood up and carried Finn into the kitchen. Together they started making a bowl of pancake batter. Mac measured out the ingredients and Finn helped pour it all into the bowl. He giggled when the flour puffed up in a cloud.

Upstairs, Stella gently pushed open the bedroom door. Both girls were fast asleep. Piper had her arm protectively around Addison's shoulders. She guessed that this was the first night in a while that Piper had been able to sleep soundly without having to worry about her brother and sister. Piper had a lot of responsibility for someone so young, and Stella could see the pressure of it etched on the teenagers face.

Stella sat down on the edge of the bed and softly placed her hand on Addison's shoulder. She started to rock her awake. Addison smiled as soon as she opened up her eyes.

"Stella." She said quietly.

"Morning baby. Did you sleep well?" Stella asked, taking the little girls hand.

"Yah. Where's Finn gone?" Addison frowned, looking at the empty space in the bed.

"He's downstairs with Mac. I came to get you and Piper for breakfast."

Addison's eyes grew and her eyebrows shot up. "A real breakfast?"

"Yeah a real breakfast! Are you hungry?" Stella laughed as Addison nodded. "Good. Go to the bathroom and wash your hands before you go down okay?" Stella said as she helped Addison off of the bed.

Addison skipped happily out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Stella jumped and turned to face Piper who merely scrunched up her face and pulled the covers up higher. Stella reached her arm out and brushed some her out of Piper's eyes.

"Piper, it's time to wake up." Stella said in hushed tones. "Piper..." She carefully shook Piper's shoulder.

"No...get off me...not again." Piper complained in her sleep.

That comment threw Stella off guard. She quickly took her hand off of Piper's shoulder. The girls face stayed troubled though. She forced her eyes open and sat bolt upright, her hand clutched to her chest and her breath ragged.

"Piper, it's okay, it's just me." Stella said comfortingly. "Were you having a bad dream?"

"No, I thought you were...never mind. Yeah I was having a bad dream." Piper said dismissively.

"You thought I was what?" Stella pressed.

"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it." She said, her cheeks turning a faint shade of red.

"Are you sure?" Stella tried again.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She insisted.

Stella didn't ask about it again, not wanting Piper to feel any pressure to talk about anything that she didn't want too. She walked with Piper downstairs to the kitchen. The sweet smell of pancakes was filling the house. Piper's mouth watered as soon as she smelt it. It had been a long time, even before they ran away, that any of them had had a decent breakfast.

They all sat down and tucked in to the delicious blueberry pancakes that Mac and Finn had made. Stella poured them all glasses of orange juice. Finn sat on Mac's lap and tried his best to mimic Mac's actions, lifting his fork and his glass at the same time. Stella couldn't help but laugh when she noticed. Once they had finished breakfast, Piper helped Mac to tidy everything away while Stella took Addison and Finn upstairs for a bath.

She filled the tub up with warm water and poured in some bubbles. She chucked in a few of Lucy's bath toys and got 3 fresh white towels out of the linen closet. She decided it would be easier to get them both washed at the same time.

"Bath's ready!" She called out.

Two naked children ran excitedly into the room. Stella helped Addison climb in, and then she lifted Finn in. She knelt down next to the edge so she could reach in. Finn instantly started splashing around and making a huge mess. Stella laughed and gathered up a handful of bubbles. She blew into the bubbles and they floated all around the bathroom. Addison played with the toys that were floating in the bath. She dunked the fishes under the water and pulled them back up again, making them dive in and out.

"Are you ready to wash your hair?" Stella held up a bottle of shampoo.

"Me first!" Addison jumped up.

"Okay then, dip your head under the water and get it all wet."

Addison did as she was told. Stella squirted some shampoo onto the little girl's hair and started rubbing it on. Her hair was so long; Stella wasn't sure when it had last been cut. She washed Finn's hair and then washed both of their faces. They brushed their teeth with the spare toothbrushes. Stella added new toothbrushes to her mental note. Stella wrapped their towels tightly around them and they all headed downstairs so they could get their now clean clothes.

As bath time was going on, Mac tried to get as much information out of Piper as he could without making her feel like she was being interrogated. He found out their mothers name and their last name - information that he could later pass on to Flack. He also found out what part of the city they were from.

"What about school? Where do you go?" He asked, putting a stack of plates in the cupboard.

"I don't go to school. I can't go to school." Piper mumbled, clearly ashamed of this.

"Why not?" Mac handed Piper the dishcloth.

"Because" She hesitated, wanting to finish but knowing that it wasn't an appropriate answer. "If I went to school, no-one would look after Addie and Finn. I haven't been to school since I was 11 and that was 4 years ago. I try to teach them to read and write but I'm not very good."

"You know, Stella and I can help get you all into schools." Mac said, turning to face Piper. "We want you all to stay here for the weekend."

Her eyes almost filled with tears. "Really?"

"Yeah really." He smiled, seeing the genuine gratefulness on the girls face.

Piper had never known anyone to be so kind. Even her mother had never been this loving to her. Mac and Stella were strangers and yet they had treated her and her siblings better than anyone else had in their entire lives. She couldn't stop the tears now. They rolled down her cheeks before she could stop them. Mac pulled her into a hug and held her as she cried.

"C'mon you two, let's get you both dressed." Stella called out as she walked into the kitchen.

Before she could say anything else, Piper ran up and hugged her. Stella was slightly taken aback; still, she put her arms around the girl and hugged her back. When Piper let go, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed.

"Thank you for everything." She whispered through her tears.

"It's our pleasure." Stella smiled and kissed Piper's temple. "Let me get your clothes out of the dryer and you can go upstairs and take a bath. I'll iron then and leave them outside the bathroom door, okay?"

Piper nodded and left the room. Stella pulled the bundle of clothes out of the dryer. She ironed everything and folded Piper's clothes. She set them on the counter while she did Addison's and Finn's clothes.

"We're going clothes shopping today, aren't we?" Mac sighed upon seeing the kids tattered clothing.

"'Fraid so." Stella laughed. "Even if they only stay with us for the weekend, I want to make sure they have everything they need. Including new clothes, new shoes and new toothbrushes."

Stella kissed Mac and then proceeded to take all of the clothes upstairs. Mac finished the last little bits of tidying and pulled out his cell phone.

_"Flack." _He answered.

"Flack, its Mac. I need you to do me a favour."

_"Sure, what's going on?"_

"Find out everything you can on Gina Samuels. I want you to search every database we have for this woman."

_"No problem. Why did you need to find her?"_

"Because Stella is currently upstairs making sure her 3 runaway kids are taken care of."

_"Woah"_ Flack didn't really know what say.

"Yeah. We found them in an alley last night. The youngest is only 3. They're staying with us for the weekend. I wanna talk to the woman who put them through this.

_"You got it. I'll call you tomorrow with everything' I know."_ And he hung up the phone.

When everyone was fed, washed and dressed, Stella took the kids out shopping. Mac stayed behind to set up the other bedrooms, anything to avoid going shopping. He put fresh bedding on each bed so that they would all get their own rooms. Then he vaccumed and dusted everything before going into the study. He sat down at his desk and began making phone calls, trying to find somewhere that would take all 3 children. At such short notice, it was almost impossible.

Stella and the children went to several stores before they finally managed to get everything they needed. When it came to picking clothes, the younger two were easy to shop for. Addison liked pink and Finn liked dinosaurs. Shopping for Piper however, proved to be more of a challenge. Stella had told her not to worry about the cost of anything and to just pick out whatever she liked, but it was easier said than done.

"I can't let you do this Stella; it's not fair on you. You shouldn't have to buy us all this new stuff." Piper said guilty, gesturing too all the bags.

"Honey, I want to buy you all these things." Stella assured, putting her arm around Piper's shoulder.

In the end, Stella helped Piper pick out two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a few shirts and new underwear. As the cashier was ringing everything up, Piper's stomach twisted. She felt awful that Stella was buying them all new clothes, and then she felt worse for not seeing grateful when she truly was. Piper thanked Stella and then prompted the younger ones to do the same.

When they headed home for lunch, Mac had already set out the table and began making grilled cheese sandwiches. Piper, Addison and Finn enjoyed every meal and ate everything with no complaints, knowing that after the weekend was over, they may not eat that well again for a long time.

That evening they all settled down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a Disney movie. Addison was the first one to fall asleep. Stella gently woke her up and carried her upstairs. She brushed her teeth and got her changed into her new pyjama's. Stella tucked her into her new bed and kissed her goodnight.

As she made her way down the stairs, she bumped into Mac who was carrying a snoring Finn over his shoulder. Stella offered to take him but Mac insisted he was fine and carried on up the stairs. It wasn't long before Piper got tired and took herself up to bed. For the first time in a long time, she had a big comfy bed to sleep in and it was all hers.

"Did you find anywhere for them yet?" Stella asked settling back down on the couch next to Mac.

"Not yet. I'll try again tomorrow. I've got Flack hunting down their mother Gina, though there is no way in hell I'm making them go back with her. I want her behind bars." He said through gritted teeth.

"Mac, I've been thinking about it a lot today, if we can't find anywhere for them soon, can't they just stay with us?" Stella said, curling up into Mac's side and resting her head on his chest.

"I'll see what I can do." He kissed the top of her head.

In truth, he wanted them to stay just as much as she did. Their townhouse was plenty big enough for all of them and they had all the means to support a family. He said he'd see what he could do and he vowed he would. He would visit the mayor personally if it meant keeping those kids safe.


	3. Cause and Effect

_**A/N: You are all the best! Thank you so much for the reviews, favourite's and follows!  
Bx  
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or any of its characters.**_

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_**Chapter Three**_

That Sunday morning had come around far too quickly for everyone. After the previous day, everyone was exhausted and they all managed to get a decent lie in. Once Piper woke up though, she felt sick with fear and worry. Mac and Stella had said they could stay for the weekend, and that was nearly over. She didn't want to go back on to the streets but more than that, she didn't want to be separated from Addison and Finn. Regardless of what happened, they were a family and she had to protect them, especially when no-one else would.

In their own room, Stella was feeling exactly the same. They desperately needed to find somewhere for the kids to stay, and Stella would rather it be with her and Mac than anyone else. Part of her hoped that Mac wouldn't find anywhere straight away and that he'd be able to arrange for them all to stay for longer. She had said she wouldn't let herself get attached but it was incredibly hard not to.

"Mac, you awake?" She asked quietly, just in case he wasn't.

"Yeah, I'm awake." He said through a yawn.

"How hard are you going to try and find them somewhere else to go?" Stella wondered.

"Not very" He admitted sheepishly. "We both know the right people and we've done a lot for this city. It shouldn't be hard for us to be granted temporary custody."

Stella lifted herself up and looked at him excitedly. "You're serious?"

"Absolutely." he leaned forward and kissed her. "If they can stay here, do you want to work from home for the next week while we get them all into some sort of school or day care?"

"Of course! But if you do manage to get their mother into interrogation, I want to be there." Stella insisted.

"That's fine...as long as you promise not draw your gun." He winked.

Stella nodded, a huge grin spread across her face. She kissed him again and rested her hand on his chest. They weren't awake long when the door creaked open and Finn stuck his head in the door.

"Morning sunshine" Stella smiled.

Finn giggled at his new nickname and ran into the room. Mac helped him up onto the bed and he sat contentedly between the two of them. Finn kept them both entertained but soon they were both craving coffee.

"Do you want to come help me do breakfast, Finn?" Stella asked as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Pancakes?" He grinned.

"Not today sweetie, you ate them all yesterday!" Stella lifted him up and spun him around before putting him down on the floor.

"Oh, kay then." He shrugged.

Becoming familiar with the house, he ran off happily down the stairs and into the kitchen. Finn wasn't particularly quiet as he went and his noise soon woke Addison up, who feared she was missing out on something potentially fun. She opened up her door and ran up to Stella. She grabbed on to Stella's hand and walked with her down the stairs. With Stella taking care of breakfast, Mac got up and showered so he could go straight into the study and start contacting people about temporary custody.

Piper heard everyone starting to move around but she couldn't bring herself to join them. She wanted to savour the last few moments in a bed that wasn't only incredibly comfortable, but also just for her. Reluctantly, she pulled herself out from under the covers and went to take a shower. When they still lived with their mother, Piper and Addison had shared a bed and a thin blanket. Finn had slept in a baby crib, even though he had long since outgrown it. Piper hated living at home. She had wanted to run away countless times, but stopped herself because she needed to look after Addison and Finn. It wasn't until their mom had once again left them to go get high, and didn't return for 3 nights, that Piper decided it was time to go. She packed up whatever she could carry and left with Addison by her side and Finn on her back. She had told them it would be like summer camp. They would have to find food and build shelters. To them, it seemed like fun. Piper still regretted telling them that. They had suffered because of her, even though she was trying to do the right thing.

Stella sat and drunk her coffee while Addison and Finn ate their breakfast cereal. She felt relieved that they both seemed so oblivious too it all now. It was like they had forgotten that only 2 nights ago they were living at the back of an alley.

"Are you guys ready to go and brush your teeth?" Stella asked, checking to see if they had both finished. "Okay let's go put our bowls in the sink."

Addison stood up on tiptoes and put her bowl down. Stella lifted Finn up so he could put his bowl in too. They both ran upstairs and into the bathroom where they waited for Stella. She left out a bowl, spoon and cereal for Piper to have when she came down.

"We have splashy bath 'gen Stella?" Finn asked, pointing to the tub.

"Definitely and with lots of bubbles!" Stella kissed the top of Finn's head.

Addison and Finn began brushing their teeth as Stella started to run another bubble bath. While she waited for the bath to run, and for the kids to get un-dressed, she knocked on Piper's bedroom door.

"Come in." Piper called out from inside.

Stella opened up the door and went in. Piper was standing in front of the mirror with her new clothes on. She tried too, but she couldn't keep the smile from her face. This was the happiest she had felt in years.

"You look beautiful." Stella said, walking up behind her. "Have you been crying?"

"No." Piper said quickly, even though her eyes were red.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" Stella led Piper over to the bed and sat her down.

"I don't want Addie and Finn to live on the streets again." She whispered.

"Mac and I are going to do everything we can to make sure that none of you live on the streets again." Stella put her arm around Piper and Piper rested her head on Stella's shoulder.

"It doesn't matter about me; can you just make sure they're okay?" Piper admitted.

"Piper, listen to me, of course it matters about you. We're going to make sure that you all stay together and that you're all taken care of." Stella comforted.

Piper didn't reply, she just sniffed and tried to blink away the tears before they fell. Stella rocked her back and forth. It wasn't until she heard Finn call out her name that she remembered about the bath. Piper laughed as Stella jumped up and ran into the bathroom to make sure the water hadn't over flown. Piper couldn't recall the last time she had trusted an adult as much as she trusted Stella.

In the office, Mac dialled another number into his phone. He was getting more and more agitated with every phone call. He had decided to start by phoning Flack to get all the information he could on Gina, hoping that he could use it to convince someone to let the children stay with him. Unfortunately they still hadn't found her. They found a run-down apartment in Brooklyn but when they got there, nobody was home. Police officers had searched the place but, to Flack's dismay, found no sign of any children ever having lived there. That pissed Mac off even more. He ordered Flack to have some guys sit on the apartment building so they could get her whenever she decided to come home.

Mac pressed his fingers to his temples and took a deep breath. The stress of all this was really starting to get to him. He couldn't imagine how Piper felt; having to spend most of her life being the parent and feeling like life on the streets was a better choice than life at home. As the phone rang again, Mac snatched it off of the receiver.

"Taylor" He snapped down the line.

_"Detective Taylor, this is Grace Parks from Child Services, I'm calling to discuss the emergency custody you filed yesterday for the Samuels children."_ The chirpy voice said.

"Oh, good. Did you get the files I sent over?" Mac replied bluntly.

_"I did, it appears you have an incredibly strong case against Ms Samuels. I've gone through everything and made a few calls but I still have a few questions. Why is it that you don't want the children to be put into foster care?"_ Mac could hear the sound of a keyboard clicking. He had to think hard about his answer, if he said the wrong thing and offended Grace, they stood no chance.

"Ms Parks, I spent most of yesterday calling around different foster homes and no-one was able to take in all the children. My fiancé was in the system up until she was 18 and she doesn't want them to have to go through it." Mac finally replied.

He heard more typing. _"Both you and Detective Bonasera have extremely high-stress jobs with long hours. Will you be able to cope with having 2 young children and a teenager in the house?"_

"Stella will be working from home next week. We have an incredibly strong team behind us. We can make it work."

_"Okay."_ More typing. _"Well then Detective Taylor, I'm happy to grant you temporary custody. I understand you're waiting to speak to the children's mother, when you do, give me a call. We will need to go over the agreement then and decide whether it's best for the children to stay with you or to be place in a foster home. It is very doubtful that they will ever be back with their mother."_

"Thank you so much Ms Parks." Mac said down the phone.

After he hung up, he made a note on his computer to put in a good word with Grace's bosses. The kids were there to stay, at least for a little while longer. All he had to do now was wait for Gina Samuels.

Mac switched off the computer and stuck his cell phone in his jeans pocket. He left the office and went to find Stella so he could tell her the good news. He found her sitting by herself in the living room. He could hear running footsteps and laughter coming from upstairs. Stella looked up at him anxiously.

"Well? Did you hear something?" She said nervously.

"Until we find their mother, they're ours." Mac said, a smile spreading across his face.

Stella jumped up from the couch and wrapped her arms around Mac's neck. He held her waist and picked her up, spinning her around. She rested her hand on either side of his face and kissed him repeatedly.

"I love you." She said tearfully.

"I love you too." He replied and kissed her back.

"We have to tell them! Are you gunna mention that you're trying to find their mom?" Stella asked once her feet were firmly back on the ground.

"I will. It's not fair to keep that from them, especially from Piper."

"Okay, I'll go get them." Stella grinned.

She left the room and called up the stairs. It didn't take long for the footsteps to come thundering down the stairs. They all went into the living room and dropped down onto the couch.

"Are we in trouble?" Addison asked, looking up at Mac and Stella.

"No, you're not in trouble sweetie. This is good news!" Stella assured.

They all looked relieved and settled more comfortably against the cushions. Piper picked at the ends of her hairs; these types of situations always made her slightly nervous.

"First of all, you need to know that we have people out looking for your mother. She wasn't at her apartment so we have officers waiting outside for her." Mac explained.

Piper looked devastated. If they found her mom, then they'd all have to go back to her. It was the worst thing that could've happened. Even Addison looked distraught at the possibility of leaving Mac and Stella.

"And then we have to go home, right?" Piper said quietly. She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Nope" Stella replied.

Piper looked up at her, her face creased in confusion. They weren't going home, so they were going into a foster and they'd be split up.

"You said you wouldn't put us into care." Piper whispered tearfully. "You lied to me."

Stella sat down on the edge of the coffee table and took hold of Piper's hands. Piper looked absolutely heartbroken and suddenly Stella felt guilty for not choosing her words more carefully.

"Honey, you're to going into care either. You're staying right here, with us." Stella comforted.

Piper didn't know what to say. She was completely shocked. Tears started rolling down her face. Stella leant forward and hugged her. Addison, not wanting to be left out, stood next to Stella and wrapped her arms around the two of them.

Mac picked up Finn and sat down next to Stella. Stella had begun to cry and Mac wiped a tear from her eye. Addison got caught up in all the emotion, she didn't know why she was crying but Stella was and Piper was so she cried too.

Once everyone had dried their eyes, they all went into the kitchen to have lunch together. The children had only been there for 2 days but Stella couldn't imagine them ever leaving.

The sun had finally come out over the city, and with only a few clouds in the sky, Stella decided to take everyone out into the garden to play. She sat on the porch swing with Piper as Addison and Finn ran around on the grass.

"Stella look what I can do!" Addison called out.

She waited for Stella to look up at her before throwing herself into what Stella assumed was a cartwheel. Both Stella and Piper applauded Addison and the little girl skipped away, happy that she had pleased her audience.

"I gots a owwie." Finn cried, running up to Stella with him left arm outstretched.

"Oh no! C'mon, let's go inside and fix it up." She said as she kissed Finn's grazed elbow.

Stella carried Finn into the kitchen. She wiped his eyes with a tissue and then got out the first aid box. Finn screeched as she wiped the wound with an anti-septic wipe. Stella soothed him and kissed his elbow again before putting a plaster on it.

"Look, I hurted my arm." Finn said, running up to Mac who had just entered the kitchen.

Mac crouched down in front of Finn and inspected the cut. "I see Nurse Stella patched it up real good."

"Yah, she made it all better." Finn leaned in close to Mac's ear and whispered" She has magic kisses."

"Magic kisses? Really?!" Mac laughed, acting surprised. "Do I need to go and check?"

Finn nodded and ran over to Stella. He stood up on his tiptoes and puckered his lips. Stella lifted him up and kissed Finn's little lips. He giggled and squirmed around until Stella put him down on the floor. Mac stood up and walked over to Stella. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her in close. Knowing that they had an audience, Mac put his arm around Stella's back and dipped her low before kissing her softly. Their lips lingered for several seconds before Mac lifted her back up again.

"See, I told ya." Finn giggled and he ran off into the garden.

"Magic kisses." He whispered.


	4. Mommy Dearest

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story!  
Bx**

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_**Chapter Four**_

For someone who genuinely loved his job, Mac really didn't want to go in that morning. He begrudgingly got out of bed and headed into the en-suite bathroom. As he quietly got ready, he thought about the day ahead. Hopefully today he'd finally get the chance to meet Gina Samuels. He didn't need to worry about a reason for bringing her in; she neglected her children and that was enough.

Mac wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back into the bedroom. Stella was just starting to wake up as he came in. He envied the fact that she was able to stay home with the children. He wanted to stay with her.

Stella yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her vision quickly adjusted to the light and she could see Mac getting ready for work. She was supposed to be working from home today but what she really planned on doing was shopping for the kids and looking into schools for them all. The night before, she had asked their neighbour to watch the three children just in case Stella got called into the office. If that happened, it meant that they had located Gina, and Stella had a few choice words to say to the woman.

Mac kissed Stella goodbye and left for the office, promising to call her whenever he found out something and especially when they found Gina. When he stepped off of the elevator and into the crime lab, he saw Flack already standing in his office and talking to Danny.

"Hey! How was your weekend off, dad?" Flack laughed, smacking his palm on Mac's back.

"It was...different." Mac shook his head and hung his jacket up.

Danny, who hadn't yet been filled in on the weekends activities, looked on in confusion. He waited for one of them to give him an explanation, but neither did.

"Sorry, am I missing somethin' here?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Oh you didn't hear? Mac and Stella are taking in runaways now, opened themselves up a nice little day-care!" Flack teased.

"Uh 'scuse me? You guys did what now?" He looked around, confused.

Mac quickly explained what had happened over the weekend. Starting with helping out Piper with the cashier and ending with the custody agreement being granted. Flack told Danny about the current search for Gina Samuels.

"Stella's staying at home with the kids this week. After that, who knows what's going to happen." Mac sat down at his desk. "Piper's terrified that they're all going to be split up."

"We'll see what happens when we get Gina down to the precinct. From what I've gathered so far she's your standard drug-addicted prostitute. Aside from that, no-one really knows much about her. Even her neighbours were shady on the details." Flack said.

"Did any of them mention Piper, Addison and Finn?" Danny asked, saying what Mac was thinking.

"A few did remember them. The ones who did, had no idea they were even gone. The lady across the hall saw them once. She said they never really left the apartment."

"That means she was getting high and laid with them in the apartment." Danny shook his head in disbelief.

"Makes me sick" Flack said, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Piper's only 15 and she's had to care for her brother and sister their whole lives. You can see the toll it's taken on her. She's got this constant look of worry on her face." Mac rubbed his forehead.

"How's Stella handling the new 'mommy' role?" Danny chuckled.

"She loves it. I'm worried she's getting too attached though. Worst case scenario - the three of them have to go back to their mother. Stell wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let that happen." Mac admitted.

"We're not gunna let that happen, Mac." Don insisted, and Danny nodded in agreement. "Ok, I'm heading over to the precinct, see if we're getting anywhere. I'll let ya know later."

Mac waved him out and Danny soon followed, leaving Mac to get on with his other cases.

At home, Stella got herself washed and dressed before waking everyone up. They had been sleeping on a concrete floor for 2 months and they deserved some quality time with a thick mattress and warm bed sheets.

Stella and Mac hadn't long since moved into the townhouse, after inheriting it from one of Mac's great aunts and they had really got lucky with it. The only rooms they hadn't yet re-decorated and furnished were the guest rooms. For a moment Stella wondered about re-decorating them for the kids and letting them chose the colours, but she shook her head dismissively, knowing that she shouldn't be planning too far into the future.

She was in the kitchen, laying out bowls for breakfast when Addison stumbled sleepily into the room. She had Mac's shirt clutched to her chest like a comforter. Her blonde hair was sticking up in all directions and she could barely keep her eyes open. She eventually made her way over to Stella's side where she tugged on the hem of Stella's dress and raised her arms. Stella laughed quietly and picked Addison up.

"Morning mommy" The little girl said through a yawn.

Stella froze. She didn't know whether it was an accident and Addison was simply tired or if she actually meant it. Stella had acted more like a mother these past few days than these kids has experienced in their whole lives.

"Morning baby" She said quietly, rubbing her hand up and down Addison's back.

Stella stood next to the island in the kitchen, cuddling Addison and rocking her side to side. Soon Addison started to wake up, looking less and less sleepy. She complained that she was hungry so Stella poured her a bowl of cereal and sat down next to her while she ate.

"What do you say to going out shopping today? We'll get you some new clothes, maybe even some toys?" Stella asked as Addison finished up her breakfast.

"And some for Finn and Pipes?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"Yep, for all of you" Stella smiled.

Addison's eyes lit it up and she ran off screaming "Finn" so he would wake up and she could tell him the good news. As she darted out of the room, she almost ran into Piper who walked into the room already dressed and with her wet hair in a bun on the top of her head.

"Do you have a hair dryer I could borrow, please?" Piper asked as Stella kissed her cheek.

"There's one on the vanity in my room." She replied. "Do you want some breakfast first?"

"Yes please." Piper nodded. As she sat down, she inhaled sharply and winced. The pain was evident in her eyes.

"Piper, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Stella asked, making no attempt to hide the concern in her voice.

"Nothing's wrong." Piper shook her head but didn't look up.

"Honey, if you tell me I might be able to help." Stella assured.

Piper pouted and stood up. She bit her lip and gingerly lifted up her shirt. The first thing Stella noticed was the girl's hipbones. They pressed hard against the skin that was stretched across them. Stella's eyes travelled up and saw what was causing Piper so much pain.

Bright red and swollen skin surrounded a little silver bar through her belly button. It looked incredibly sore and it was most definitely infected. Stella struggled to hide her shock. She reached out her hand to lift Piper's shirt up but Piper flinched away, afraid that Stella was going to touch it.

"Piper sweetie, how long has it been like this?" Stella asked.

"Ever since my mom made me get it done 4 months ago. It keeps getting worse." She replied tearfully.

"Your mom made you do this?" Stella asked. "Why did she do that Piper?"

"She said I needed it done." Piper shrugged like it was no big deal. Stella sensed there was more to the story but now wasn't the right time to try and get Piper talking.

"I'll take you to the emergency room this morning. It's probably best that you had a full check-up. Addie and Finn too actually." Stella said.

Stella took a clean flannel out of the dryer and soaked it in hot water from the tap. She rung the water out of it and folded it twice before passing it to Piper.

"Hold this on it for a while; hopefully it will take some of the swelling down." Stella smiled.

Piper gratefully accepted the hot flannel. She carefully held it on her stomach and waited for the pain to subside. Stella handed her a glass of water and 2 pain killers to try and take the edge off. She sat and spoke with Piper at the breakfast table before going upstairs to make that Finn was actually awake. Stella got the younger two into the bath and after got them dressed.

They all hung around the kitchen for most of the morning until everyone was ready to leave. Stella promised Addison and Finn that they could each pick out their toys if they behaved while they were at the doctors. She knew Piper didn't need an incentive to behave but she offered to treat her to something as well.

The emergency room was surprisingly quiet when they got there. Stella instructed the three of them to sit down on a row of plastic chairs while she went to talk to one of the nurses.

"Hi, I'm Detective Bonasera" She held up her badge. "I need a doctor to check out these 3 children immediately."

The young nurse nodded and ran off to find a doctor that could help them. An older man, with dark grey hair and deep-set eyes came out to greet Stella. They took a moment to exchange pleasantries before Stella began to ask him for help. She explained the kid's situation, how they had been neglected and had been living on the streets. She then told him about the infected piercing.

The doctor agreed to run full physical checks on all 3 of them, all to be funded by the city since they were victims. Stella walked with them all into a back room. The doctor started the checks, youngest first, and made continuous notes in his folder. He went on to take blood and urine samples from them all. They would all have to return later that week for the results, though he would call if they needed to come in any earlier. He prescribed Piper a course of antibiotics for her stomach and ordered her to take out the piercing, which she gladly did.

"See, that wasn't so bad! Now, it's time to go shopping. You all deserve a present after that." She grinned, taking hold of Addison and Finn's hands.

Mac paced his office, waiting for Flack to call. Two officers had just seen Gina walk into her apartment without a care in the world. They called it in and waited for back up. When Mac's phone finally did ring, he pounced on it.

"We got her Mac, get down here. I'll call Stell." Flack said. Not waiting for a reply he hung up the phone.

It only took 25 minutes for both Mac and Stella to get to the precinct. They both took a second to calm themselves down before going in to see her. She looked so calm and relaxed, it infuriated them. Mac led them into the room and they sat down opposite her. Flack leant up against the wall.

Gina Samuels was a fairly large woman. She was squeezed into clothes that were obviously two sizes too small. Her blonde hair was curled and it hung limply next to her face. She was a mess.

"It's nearly 3 o'clock Gina, do you need us to send someone to pick up your kids?" Mac asked, gesturing to the clock on the wall.

"No, they're fine where they are." She grumbled.

"And where are they exactly?" Stella raised an eyebrow.

"At home" She sucked her teeth. "My oldest is looking after them."

Mac slammed his fist down on the table. "The lies stop right now Gina."

His force took the woman by surprise. Even Stella jumped slightly when his fist connected with the cold metal table.

"I ain't lying!" She almost shouted.

"Yeah, you are. We know you are. Your kids aren't home and they haven't been in months. The last I heard, your kids were with my partner here having lunch and shopping for new clothes. Isn't that right, Stella?" Mac said fiercely.

"Absolutely. I felt they needed a treat for their impeccable behaviour at the emergency room this morning and in fact for the behaviour this whole weekend."

Gina's face went bright red. She looked around the room, opening and closing her mouth as if she were trying to say something. They had caught her out. She was in big trouble now.

"Wh...where? Why were my damn kids with you?" She shouted when she finally got her head together.

"A better question would be why weren't they with you?" Flack stepped in. "They've been gone 2 months Gina and you didn't bother filing a missing persons report. You know, you're damn lucky that these two found them and took them in. Who knows what would've happened otherwise."

"You have my kids? Are they here! Can I see them?" She spoke at a hundred miles a minute.

"You'll be lucky if you ever see them again."

"Tell me Gina, what did you do to these kids that made them think their best choice was living on the street?" Stella said, trying to stay calm.

"I did what I had to do." Gina sneered.

"What the hell does that mean?" Mac leaned in closer.

"Piper understood. She knew she needed to help me. I can't afford to feed all of 'em. She had to earn her keep." Gina showed no remorse.

Stella felt sick to her stomach. Her mind flashed back to Saturday morning, when she had tried to wake the sleeping teenager. _No...get off me...not again._ It wasn't just a bad dream. It was Piper's real-life nightmare.

"Oh my God." Stella whispered. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, unlike her eyes which were now saturated with tears. "You've been pimping out your own daughter."

Both Mac and Flack turned to look at Stella, then back to Gina. She did to seem to care at all. Stella quickly blinked away her tears. Mac didn't have the same control though.

"YOU DID WHAT?" He roared, kicking his chair back.

"I didn't have a choice." Gina said, completely stony faced.

"She's your child Gina! You didn't have to put her through that." Flack yelled.

Gina didn't reply, she just tutted and looked down at her nails. Stella wanted to climb across the table and pound some sense into the woman, taking out her own frustrations. More than anything, Stella just wanted to get home so she could be with the children. She wanted to take Piper in her arms and assure her that everything was going to be okay.

"Get her out of my sight." Mac ordered, getting up from his chair.

"Do me a favour?" Gina asked, turning around to face the detectives. "Take them off my hands. I don't care where they go, just get them away."

Stella couldn't believe this woman's attitude. She'd never met anyone so vile and disgusting in her life. In the back of her mind though, she knew that the chances of her and Mac keeping the kids for longer were getting higher by the second.

"They're staying with us, Stella. I'm not letting them go anywhere else, no matter what it takes." Mac said, once they were the only two left in the room.

Stella put her arms around Mac's waist and rested her head on his chest. She couldn't stop herself from crying. Mac kissed the top of her head and swayed her side to side.

"Can we go home now?" She whispered tearfully.


	5. Aftermath

_**A/N: Thank you SO much for all of your reviews! I'm genuinely shocked at the response and I appreciate it so much. Keep it up guys :D I really hope you enjoy this chapter!  
Bx**_

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_**Chapter Five**_

Stella and Mac couldn't get home quick enough. After their meeting with Gina, no-one had expected them to stick around for too long. Flack promised to send over transcript's of the interrogation, along with all the other necessary paperwork. They all watched as Gina was led away in hand-cuffs, cursing and scream as she went.

Neither of them said anything as they left the precinct, hand in hand, and headed towards the car. Mac didn't want to unintentionally force Stella into speaking because he could see from the look on her face that she would've burst into tears on the spot. Mac started up the car and drove off, heading towards home.

"You okay Stell?" Mac asked, breaking the silence they had fallen in to.

"No. How could she do that Mac?" Stella replied, her on-coming tears were making her voice crack.

"I don't know." He paused. "They're never going back with her Stell, you know that, right?"

"I know. I just don't want them to have to go anywhere else. Can we call child services in the morning Mac and file for permanent custody? Please?" Stella begged, turning to face him.

Mac rested his hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently. He could see she was on the brink of tears. He nodded and smiled reassuringly. If he hadn't been driving, Stella would've leaned over in the car and kissed him there and then.

"Thank you, Mac." She kissed the back of his hand since it was the closet she could get.

When Mac pulled the car up outside the house, Stella took a moment to take a deep breath and gather her thoughts. They had agreed that Stella would be the one to talk to Piper after they had all had dinner.

It was nearly 6pm when they finally got home. Mac went into the house to start preparing dinner. Stella went up the stairs to their neighbours' house. She knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened. Addison opened up the door and leaped into Stella's arms.

"You're home!" Addison cheered, hugging her arms around Stella's neck.

"I missed you sweetie." Stella kissed Addison's cheek and stood her down.

Stella thanked the neighbour and helped the kids gather up all their stuff. When she saw Piper, her heart ached. She wanted to grab her, hold her and promise that everything would be okay. They walked back to the house, talking all at once as they told Stella about their afternoon.

Finn was the first one to the house, eager to get inside and see Mac. The little boy used all his strength to push the door open and ran into the kitchen, almost slipping over as her went. He careered into the side of Mac's legs.

"Woah, slow down little man, you're gunna hurt yourself!" Mac laughed, lifting Finn up onto the counter.

"Guess what we did today?" He said excitedly.

"What'd you do?" Mac asked, though he already knew.

"We went to the hopspital!" Finn's eyes were wide with joy.

Mac mock-gasped. "You did?!"

"Yah" Finn nodded and promptly burst into a fit of giggles that Mac couldn't understand. He poked the little boy in the ribs causing more laughter.

"What's so funny?" Mac asked, starting to laugh too.

Finn gestured for Mac to come closer. He cupped his hand around Mac's ear and whispered "I had to go pee pee in a cup."

Just remembering it was enough to cause Finn to explode with laughter. Mac bowed his head and started laughing again. Once they had started laughing, neither of them could stop. Finn was clutching his stomach, tears in his eyes, when Stella walked into the room.

"What's going on in here?" She asked, laughing.

"Finn was just telling me how he had to pee into a cup." Mac said with a smirk.

"Oh yes." Stella nodded. "It was quite the...experience." She scrunched up her face and Mac guessed that it had probably been rather messy.

As Mac stood over the stove, preparing dinner, Stella crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his stomach. She kissed the back of his neck and rested her head on his shoulders. Mac put the stirring spoon down and turned around. He kissed Stella back and took her hands in his.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I will be. It's just...it's been a rough day. I can't stop thinking about what Piper had to go through. It's not fair Mac." She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"They're safe now, Stella." He soothed.

"It was Gina's responsibility to keep her safe Mac. She betrayed them in the worst possible way, and the worst part is...the worst part is she doesn't even care."

"Stella, their mother may not have cared, but we care. We can help them. We can give them food and shelter. More than that though, we can give them love. That's what they really need." Mac kissed the tip of her nose.

"Do you really think we stand a chance of getting full custody, like forever?" Stella asked.

"I said I'd do whatever it takes. I mean it. I can't promise forever, but I'm going to try." Mac cradled her face in his hands.

"Mac..." Stella said quietly.

"What?"

"The pasta is about to boil over." She grinned.

With a bit of help from Stella, dinner was ready in no time. Stella had prepared a huge bowl of fresh salad, along with some warm bread rolls. Mac dished out servings of spaghetti bolognese, giving Addison and Finn smaller portions. The delicious smells emanating from the kitchen had soon drawn everyone into the room. They all took their seats at the table; Finn in between Mac and Stella, Addison to Stella's right and Piper the other side of Mac. Stella sat Finn on a sofa cushion so he could reach the table easier.

It took no more than 5 minutes for Finn to discover how much fun spaghetti could be. He put strands of it into his mouth and slurped them up, often the ends would swing up too fast and he would get a face full of spaghetti sauce. Stella tried in vain to keep his face clean but she soon realised it wasn't worth it.

"This is yummy." Addison tried to say through a mouthful of spaghetti.

"Addie, keep your mouth shut when you're eating." Piper warned.

Piper had spent so long acting like a parent to her siblings' that it came naturally. She hoped that she had done a good job raising them; it was hard to tell when she was still only a kid herself. Piper didn't want to get her hopes up, but part of her was wishing that Mac and Stella would take over the parenting.

After they all had finished eating, and tidied away their plates, Stella got them each a bowl of ice cream. It was another thing that Finn managed to get all of his face. Mac offered to wash up the dishes while Stella got Finn and Addison ready for bed. They both decided that it was best to start getting everyone into some sort of routine.

"Why does Piper get to stay up longer? I wanna stay up with you." Addison whined, rubbing her forehead against Stella's leg.

"Because, monkey, she's a lot older than you. When you're big like her, you can stay up later." Stella tried to explain.

"But I'm older than Finn! Can I stay up later than him?" Addison complained.

"Finn's still little like you. You both need lots of sleep to grow big." Stella followed Addison up the stairs.

"I am big!" Addison protested. She let out a dramatic sigh and stomped off ahead of Stella. Stella shook her head and laughed. Addison was clearly going to be a handful.

Once the two little ones were in their pyjamas, Stella sat them both on her bed while she read them a story. Finn fell asleep quickly, his head resting on Stella's lap. She picked him up and carried him into his bedroom. Addison followed, not wanting to be too far from Stella's side.

"Do you want me to read you an extra story since you're so much bigger than your brother?" Stella asked as she led Addison out of the room.

"Yeah!" Addison jumped up excitedly.

"Okay then big girl, go get into bed." Stella ordered.

Stella got Addison tucked up in bed and sat down next to her. She read her 3 stories before she finally heard Addison's light snoring. Stella kissed the little girl goodnight and left the room. She quietly shut the door and began to head downstairs. As she passed Piper's room she saw light coming out from underneath the door and music was playing quietly. Stella knew that now would be a good time to talk to her. She ran downstairs and told Mac what she was going to do before charging back up the stairs. Before going into Piper's room, she went into her own and grabbed a few bottles of nail polish from one of the drawers.

"Piper? Can I come in?" Stella asked pushing the door open slightly.

"Uh-huh." Piper nodded.

"I thought you deserved a little pampering." Stella smiled, waving the bottles in the air.

Piper nodded excitedly. She'd never had anyone offer to paint her nails before. She slid off the edge of the bed and joined Stella on the floor. Stella began shaping Piper's nails - which were in a surprisingly good condition, with a nail file.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened today, but if you don't feel like talking, just stop me okay?" Stella said gently.

"Is this about my mom?" Piper guessed.

"Yeah, it is." Stella nodded. "One of our detectives arrested her this morning, Mac and I interrogated her this afternoon."

"Is she going to jail? Please, Stella, don't make us go back with her." Piper pleaded desperately.

Stella rubbed the back of Piper's hand in an attempt to calm her down. "You're not going back with her. None of you are, ever. I can't make any promises but I imagine she'll be going away for a long time. We're going to get her to sign over custody."

Piper started crying, it was a mixture of joy and sadness. The last few days had been completely overwhelming. More than anything she wanted things to settle down and be normal. Stella hugged Piper tightly and rubbed her back. Piper may have been a lot older than Addison and Finn, but Stella could see she still craved the same love, care and affection.

"There's one more thing Piper..." Stella hesitated. She was nervous about bringing it up. "When we had her in interrogation, she mentioned how you had to earn your keep. We know what she made you do."

"Am I in trouble?" Piper whispered tearfully.

"Oh God, honey not at all!" Stella quickly put her arms back around Piper. "Why on earth would you be in trouble? You haven't done anything wrong."

"Having sex for money is illegal." Piper stammered. "But, she said I had too or else we'd lose the apartment."

"Sweetie you were a victim in all this. None of this is your fault at all and you're most definitely not in trouble." Stella rested her hand on Piper's cheek.

Sat curled up on the floor; Piper was shaking with the force of crying. Stella stayed holding on to her, not willing to let go until Piper had calmed down. There was no way she was ever going to be truly over what happened, but this was the first step to moving on from it.

"Mac and I are going to help you get through this Piper. We're going to everything we can to make it possible for you to stay here."

Stella wiped away the remaining tears from Piper's face. She placed a kiss on her temples and stroked her hair out of her face. It wasn't even late but Piper was physically and emotionally exhausted. She pulled her jeans off and dropped them onto the floor before climbing under the bed covers. Stella kissed her once more and left the room, making sure the light was switched off.

As she walked down the stairs in the dark, Stella wiped a tear that was rolling down her cheek. She couldn't get over the fact that Piper actually thought she was in trouble. Stella had seen the genuine look of fear in the teenagers' eyes when she mentioned it and it had sent a jolt through Stella's stomach. Right now, all she needed was for Mac to hold her close and tell her everything was going to be alright.

Mac was sat in his office, typing away furiously at the keyboard. He was sending out what felt like thousands of emails, trying to find anyone who would help him and Stella get custody of the Samuels children. He had already called child services and spoken to Grace again. The woman was shocked at everything Mac told her and assured him that the first thing she would do at work the next day would be writing up the custody papers.

"Mac, you're frowning. Is everything okay?" Stella asked upon entering the room.

"Everything's fine." He smiled, his face softening, something that only seeing Stella could achieve.

Mac pushed his desk chair back and gestured for Stella to come over. She wandered over and perched down on his lap. He gently rubbed her shoulders, trying to relive the stress that she was so obviously feeling.

"She thought she was going to get in trouble Mac." Stella couldn't quite believe it.

"Piper's going to need us a lot more now Stell, you especially. The woman at child's services seems keen to grant us custody. This could work out." He said.

"I hope so. I can't bear to see them leave Mac." Stella leant back and rested her head on Mac's shoulder.

It didn't take long for Mac to feel Stella's tears start to soak through his shirt. He held her hand and rubbed her back. Anyone could see Stella loved these kids. He was determined to make them a proper family.


	6. Picking Up The Pieces

_**A/N: It's been a month since my last update! Shocking, I know. I was trying to get a few chapters ahead of myself so I wouldn't have to keep you all waiting, but that failed miserably. I hope you're all still enjoying this. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Please, if you read this, leave a review! Thank you all x**_

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_**Chapter Six**_

Piper didn't want to get out of bed that morning. She felt completely numb. Stella and Mac knew her secret. She felt sick. They were surely going to think less of her now. She'd think less of herself if she were them. Piper hated herself for what she had done and now it could potentially ruin the best thing that's ever happened to her and her siblings.

Outside the door, she could hear Addison and Finn running through the hall and saying goodbye to Mac. She heard them run into Stella's room. Piper felt a pang of jealousy. She wanted to join them but she couldn't bring herself to move. She closed her eyes and cried herself back to sleep.

In her own room, Stella sat propped up in the bed, trying to keep her eyes open as Finn and Addison jumped all over her. She really hadn't slept much that night and could've used a lie in, but Addison and Finn seemed determined that she should get up right away. They pulled at the bedcovers and sat on top of her stomach. When they both piled on top of her for the third time, Stella wrapped her arms around their backs and pulled them down on the pillows.

"Can't you just stay asleep for a little while longer?" Stella groaned, kissing both of their foreheads.

"Nope! It's breakfast time silly." Addison shook her head.

"Breakfast time." Stella sighed. "Right."

She rolled Addison and Finn off of her, and pulled back the bed covers. She stretched and slipped a pink silk dressing gown over her shoulders. Today was going to be tough, she could already tell. She was worried about Piper. Either the teenager would start to open up more to Stella, or she'd go the other way and completely shut her off. Addison and Finn ran off ahead, not waiting for Stella. Before she went downstairs, she carefully pushed open Piper's bedroom door. Piper lay awkwardly twisted up against the pillow. Even from a distance, Stella could see the dark circles under the Piper's eyes. She had gone in there to wake Piper up, but upon seeing her, she decided against it. Piper was clearly exhausted and she needed to rest.

"STELLA!" She heard Addison and Finn scream from downstairs.

She quickly glanced at Piper to make sure that she hadn't woken, and then left the bedroom. Stella went downstairs to find Addison and Finn both standing on the kitchen counter, trying to reach the breakfast cereal.

"Hey, c'mon you two, get down, you're going to hurt yourselves." Stella instructed.

Addison pouted and climbed down from the counter and onto the chair pushed up against it. Finn followed, almost hitting his head in the process. Stella sighed and shook her head. She'd always wanted children, she never they'd be this much work.

"Our _other_ mommy let us climb on chairs." Addison rolled her eyes.

Stella was slightly taken aback. She knew that Addison hadn't meant it personally; it was just an innocent observation. Stella leant forward and held her hands on her knees.

"I'm not your other mommy. You can't climb up on high furniture when Mac and I aren't with you. I don't want the two of you getting hurt, okay?" Stella explained gently.

Finn looked at Stella tearfully. "Are you gunna spank us?"

Stella could see Finn was shaking. He looked genuinely terrified. Stella got down on her knees in front of him and took hold of his hands. She looked Finn in the eyes and used her thumb to rub small circles on the back of his hands.

"Why would I hit you sweetie?" Stella asked. She already knew the answer would make her stomach turn.

"Cos mommies hit you when you're bad. And me and Addison was bad." He said quietly.

Stella looked at Addison, who nodded and tilted her head to the floor, seemingly accepting her punishment. Stella pulled Addison into the hug too. She kissed both of them before letting go.

"Did your other mommy hit you?" Stella tried to keep her voice steady, though inside she felt shaky.

"All the times. We was bad a lot." Finn admitted.

"I promise you, I am never, ever going to hurt you, no matter what. You're safe here" Stella assured.

They both grinned widely, which made Stella's heart swell with love. As long as the three of them were happy, then so was she. Despite everything they had been through, these were three of the most loving children she'd ever met. Stella knew that it was all down to Piper. Stella already felt like they were hers and Mac's children. She loved them and they were a family.

"Do we still gotta be good?" Addison asked.

"Yeah, you still need to be good." She laughed.

Finn and Addison happily skipped off to the breakfast table while Stella prepared bowls of cereal. Stella hated to think that soon she'd have to leave them during the day and send them all off to school. They'd have to think of after-school care would have to be arranged as well. Stella didn't want Piper to feel like she had to take care of her brother and sister again.

At work, Mac had spent all morning at his desk. Every so often his eyes would flicker towards the office phone, and he pick up his cell phone. He checked his emails every few minutes. He waited impatiently to speak to Child's Services. Grace had said she'd do the paperwork first thing. How long could that take?

Everyone in the office could see he had a lot on his mind. For one thing, his office door was actually closed and that rarely happened. He had a frustrated look on his face so no-one dared bother him unless it was absolutely crucial. Mac took the peace and quiet to think about how his life was going to change once the papers came through. He and Stella would have a family. They would no longer be "Mac and Stella" they'd be "Mac and Stella + 3"

Surprisingly, the idea of that didn't terrify him. To go from having a fiancé and no children, to having a fiancé and 3 children was a huge leap, but it was one he felt ready to make. Meeting Gina Samuels had only made him more determined to gain custody of the children. They needed people who could take care of them and surround them with love, and Mac and Stella could provide that.

Mac had now started to become really impatient. He drummed his fingers on his desk and continuously fiddled with the paper scattered across it. When the phone finally rung, he almost thought he was hearing things.

"Taylor."

"_Detective Taylor, this is Grace, from Child's Services."_ She answered.

"Grace, good morning."

"_After making several calls, I've finished writing up the paperwork for you and Detective Bonasera. Everyone I've spoken to is in agreement, they all say there are no 2 greater people to raise these children."_

"That's fantastic! Thank you so much."

Mac couldn't wait to get home now. If he didn't know that there was more to come, he would've hung up the phone and left the office right away.

"_You will both be granted full custody of the Samuels children. We've had Gina sign over her rights which, unfortunately, she was far too eager to do. I will come over tonight to check on the children, and then you and Detective Bonasera can complete the paper work. Is 6:45 okay?"_

"That's perfect, I'll let Stella know. Thank you for this Grace, I really appreciate it." It was evident in Mac' voice how ecstatic he was.

"_You're welcome Detective Taylor. I'll see you later." _And she hung up the phone.

Mac couldn't believe what he'd just been told. By the end of the day, he and Stella would be the legal guardians to three beautiful children. Sure, it wasn't exactly the life that they had planned, but this was so much better. It was going to be difficult, juggling 3 children and 2 demanding, time-consuming jobs but Mac was certain they could manage it. He couldn't wait to get home and tell Stella and the kids. He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and practically ran to the elevator.

"Finn, c'mon, you can't run around naked all day!" Stella sighed as Finn once again squirmed from her grasp and ran away.

After getting the little boy out of the bath tub, he charged off into Stella and Mac's bedroom. By the time she got to him, he had wriggled underneath the bed and hidden among the plastic storage boxes. Stella lay down on the floor and tried to reach him but Finn was far too quick. He crawled out the other side and ran off again in hysterics. Now he was tearing through the downstairs floor, pulling off the t-shirt that Stella had only just managed to get on him.

Mac opened the door just in time to see Finn's naked butt run up the stairs, swiftly followed by Stella, who look exasperated. He could see Finn's clothes clutched in her hands. When she saw Mac, she looked confused and checked her watch. She'd been expecting him around lunchtime, and it was only 10 o'clock. She walked over to him, obviously glad to see him, and kissed him on the lips.

"What are you doing home so early?" Stella asked.

He gave her a mock-confused look. "You didn't radio in for back up?"

"Very funny, you wanna give it a shot? Be my guest." She said with a smirk.

Before Mac had a chance to argue, Stella had dumped Finn's clothes into his hands and started walking quickly away. Mac couldn't wait to tell her though. As she walked off, he grabbed hold of her elbow and dragged her into the office.

"Mac, what the hell are you doing?" Stella protested. "One of us needs to go and get Finn dressed. He's been like that for 30 minutes."

"I spoke with Grace this morning." He looked her in the eyes, which were looking incredibly anxious.

"We have to send them away, don't we?" She said tearfully.

Mac didn't say anything; he just shook his head and smiled. He stroked the backs of Stella's hands as she took in what he just said. She looked at him in disbelief and her face broke out into a smile.

"They can stay?" Stella said gleefully.

"They can stay." Mac assured.

Stella held her hands on Mac's shoulders and kissed him several times. The smile on her face was an image that Mac would treasure forever. She looked so beautiful and so natural; he couldn't believe that he was going to marry her and that he now had a family with her.

"Do you want to go and tell them now?" Mac asked.

"Piper's still asleep. So maybe we can take them out tonight and tell them when we get home?" She suggested.

"Of course, I'll try to get home early." Mac kissed the tip of her nose.

"Wow, this is really happening." Stella grinned. "They get to stay, for good?" She still sounded unsure.

"For good" He replied.

"I love you Mac Taylor." She whispered.

"I love you too." Mac leant in to kiss her, holding her chin with his finger.

Just as Mac went to kiss her, the door burst open and Finn ran in laughing. When he saw Mac and Stella standing exactly where he was planning on hiding, his face fell. He turned to run away but he wasn't quick enough. They both grabbed him. Finn broke out into hysterics as they wrestled his clothes on.

"Keep them on this time!" Stella laughed and kissed his foot.

Finn ran off, stopping every few steps to pull at his socks. Stella wondered how long it would take for him to strip off again. She almost started crying when she remembered that he was staying. She was undoubtedly emotionally attached to all three of them and now she didn't have to worry about saying goodbye.

"I better get back to the lab." Mac checked his watch. "I'll see you later, you guys gunna be okay?"

"As long as everyone keeps their clothes on, we'll be fine." She laughed.

Mac kissed Stella goodbye and left the house. With the biggest smile on her face, Stella practically skipped into the kitchen. She put on a pot of coffee and began making a breakfast tray for Piper, who still hadn't emerged from her bedroom. Stella carried the tray up the stairs, checking in on Addison Finn on the way. She knocked on Piper's bedroom door and opened it up. Piper was still lying asleep in the same twisted position as before. Stella tiptoed across the floor and set the tray down on the bedside table.

"Stella?" Piper grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you? I just wanted to bring you in some breakfast." Stella said quietly.

"No, it's fine. Thank you." She smiled sleepily.

Piper pulled herself up into a sitting position and Stella passed her the tray. Piper poured milk from the small jug into the bowl of cereal and began eating. The fact that Stella had thought to bring her breakfast, even after everything she told her yesterday, almost made Piper wanted to cry. Stella wasn't angry at her, or disgusted with her.

"Stella, why are you doing this for us?" Piper looked at Stella curiously.

"What do you mean?" Stella frowned, confused.

"You know, looking after us. You don't have too. We'll be leaving soon anyway. It's not that I don't appreciate it, because I really do, but why?" Piper started nervously chewing on her fingernail.

"Piper, we're looking after you because we want too. We love having you here." Stella insisted. "Now, get up. We've got a lot to get done today."

Stella leant forward and kissed Piper's forehead. Piper laughed and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Stella took the tray out of the room and closed the door. Once out of the room, Stella leant against the door and took a deep breath. She hated that Piper seemed to think they had ulterior motives, and she desperately wanted to tell her the great news but it wasn't fair to tell her without Mac being there. It was going to take a lot of work but Stella was positive that Piper would start feeling secure in what was now going to be her home.


	7. A New Chapter

**A/N: So it's been over a month since I updated. I've hit a block. In the time since my last update, I have only written 800 words of the next chapter. I'm hoping to get over this writers block soon, so please be patient. I'm trying my best!  
Enjoy!  
Bx**

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_**Chapter Seven**_

Stella left Piper's bedroom, leaving the girl to get ready for the day. As she left the room, she thought she heard Piper begin to cry quietly. _'Give her time.' _she thought to herself. This was all a lot for a 15 year old to handle, even Stella was having a hard time with it and she was an adult. She went downstairs and into the office and sat down at the computer. She opened up the internet started searching page after page. She wanted to help Piper, she just wasn't sure how.

She jotted down various therapists numbers, and saved different web pages so she could go back and look at them later. She also made a mental note to speak to the departmental therapist. Stella's main concern was that Piper was keeping a lot hidden and that it could be tearing her up inside. She tucked the small piece of paper into her pocket and switched off the computer.

"Stella, Finn hit me!" Addison cried out from upstairs.

"Finn, don't hit your sister!" Stella shouted back as she went into the kitchen.

"Stella, Addie kicked me!" Finn yelled tearfully.

Stella took a deep breath and went upstairs and into Addison's bedroom, where Addison and Finn where lying on the floor fighting. Finn had his fist tight on Addison's hair, and Addison was digging her nails into Finn's arm. Stella pulled them both apart as they kicked and screamed at each other. She held them at arm's length, while they calmed down a little.

"Okay, what's going on in here?" Stella asked sternly.

Finn and Addison both fidgeted where they were standing. Neither of them would look up. Their little faces were a mixture of anger, upset and guilt. Stella looked at the both like they were mini-suspects. Addison rubbed the back of her head, where Finn had pulled at it. Finn scowled at the floor and poked the nail marks left in his arm.

"Fine, if neither of you are going to say anything. You can both go to time out." Stella firmly took hold of their hands and marched the out of the room.

They both tried to pull against Stella and resist going to time out but they weren't strong enough. Stella sat Addison down against the linen closet door and sat Finn down at the top of the stairs. Addison angrily kicked her legs and pouted. Finn cried and tried to guilt Stella into letting him go.

"Both of you will sit there until I come and get you. When I get back I expect you both to have an explanation and an apology." Stella said resolutely. She walked down the stairs, trying her best to ignore Finn's pleas for freedom.

Stella went back to the kitchen and finished tidying up. As she was loading up the dishwasher, Piper walked into the room. Her blonde hair was in a side braid hanging over her shoulder. She looked a lot brighter than she did that morning.

"Feeling better now?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, thank you." Piper replied quietly. "Is it okay if I have something to eat?"

"Of course, you don't have to ask honey." She reassured. "You're living here too, remember."

Piper hesitated and took an apple from the fruit bowl in front of her. It didn't quite feel right just taking food from Mac and Stella. They had already done a lot and just taking from them was difficult, especially since she had to spend so long fending for herself. Piper had noticed how comfortable Finn and Addison had gotten living here. She felt awful knowing that they would have to leave soon. It didn't seem fair.

It took a little while but eventually everyone was ready to leave the house. With a little persuading, Finn had stayed fully dressed and had stopped trying to pull off his shirt. With a shopping list tucked in her pocket, and a 3 year old tightly gripping her hand, Stella led them all out of the house. It was strange to think that the three children following her through the city were now hers. Biologically, they weren't but she was determined to be the best mother possible. Stella and Piper soon fell into sync as they walked, while Addison and Finn skipped off just ahead.

"I don't think my mom ever took us shopping." Piper said sadly. "I always got Finn and Addie clothes. Are we gunna get to keep all this stuff when we leave?"

Stella had to think carefully how she was going to answer. On one hand, she didn't want Piper to think they were leaving, on the other; she didn't want to tell them all without Mac being there. She decided a vague answer would suffice.

"We're buying these things for you. They'll always be yours." Stella comforted.

"Really?" Piper seemed unsure.

"Yeah really. So, where do you wanna go first?" Stella grinned.

Shopping was one of Stella's favourite pass-times, but shopping with a 3 year old boy in tow was becoming a bit of a chore. Finn quickly tired of trying on clothes and looking at shoes. He wanted to run around and play. Stella tried to keep hold of him but he was incredibly wily and easily got away. She had to wrestle with him and an armful of shopping bags. Piper did her best to control her brother, but even she was struggling.

"Is he usually like this when you go shopping?" Stella asked, dragging Finn out from underneath a clothing rail.

"I've never really taken him shopping. After this, I don't think I ever will." Piper shuddered, with a little laugh.

"Neither will I" Stella agreed. "Finn, c'mon you need to come out of there now."

"Nope" Finn giggled and kicked his legs.

Stella passed the shopping bags to Piper and dragged Finn out by his feet. He tried to resist but she was stronger. She stood Finn up in front of her and held his arms down by his side. Finn frowned and pouted when he realised that he had lost his battle. He sulked close by Stella's side for the rest of the shopping trip. Whenever he started to misbehave, all Stella had to do was give him a look and he quickly realised he needed to stop.

"He has days like this. Don't take it personally." Piper insisted.

"Please, I take down murderers for a living, a 3 year old throwing a temper tantrum is nothing." Stella laughed it off.

Piper bit her lip. "Mom always told us to stay away from cops, she said they were all scum. And then when we ran away, police officers were always trying to break us up or move us on. They used to say things to me..." Piper paused and took a deep breath. "I don't know. That's why I tried to run from you and Mac."

"And how do you feel now?" Stella asked gently.

"Less terrified" Piper replied. "I'm really going to miss you Stella."

Stella held on to Piper's arm, stopping her from walking. She looked directly at the teenager before pulling her into a hug.

"Piper, no matter what happens; I am always going to be here for you. I promise you that I will always be here." Stella promised.

"Thank you." She whispered gratefully.

No-one had ever been there for her, she thought. No-one had ever looked out for her, cared for her or protected her. As they walked down the street, and back towards the house, Piper linker her arm with Stella's and smiled. She was happy that she finally had someone there. Someone who was on her side, always.

When they got home, Finn was sat straight in time out and this time he didn't even try to protest. Addison was keen to show off all her new clothes, despite the fact that Stella had been the one to choose most of them. They were sitting in the living room when Finn came in and climbed onto Stella's lap.

"I sorry Stella." Finn frowned.

He knelt up and kissed Stella on the lips. Stella hugged him and kissed him back.

"Are you going to be good now?" Stella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh. Love you." Finn kissed Stella again and giggled.

"I love you too." Stella smiled warmly. She felt a lump form in her throat.

"Me too!" Addison called out, nudging Finn out of the way so she could get a cuddle too.

"I love all of you." She squished them both and covered them in kisses.

The 4 of them spent the afternoon together, filling up the children's closets with their new clothes and putting away new toys. Since they moved in, Stella had considered this her home. It was only now, that the place was filled with toys and laughing children, she realised how empty it had felt before. The house was big enough for a family of 5 to live comfortably, but it had only been her and Mac there. It felt 10 times warmer and even though there were 3 extra people living there, the house felt 10 times bigger.

After lunch, while Finn was napping on the couch and Piper had taken Addison to the park, Stella sat back down at the computer and began researching school and day cares in the area. Finn was an incredibly social little boy and would be happy anywhere. Addison was shy but loving and with time would settle in at school. Stella wasn't worried about the younger two settling in. Piper hadn't been at school for 4 years. Stella could only imagine how much she had missed out on, education wise. Piper was a beautiful, intelligent and charming young lady but Stella knew that high school could be brutal on the strongest of people. Stella had gone through high-school being an orphan and living in foster care. The kids at school gave her hell. Piper had been through a lot worse.

"Will Mac be home soon Stella?" Addison asked, sticking her head around the door frame.

"He'll be home in a couple of hours." Stella smiled, checking her watch. "Why?"

"I drawed a picture and I want to show him." The little girl grinned.

Addison skipped into the room. Her blonde hair bounced with each step and a piece of paper was clutched tightly in her hands. Stella pushed her chair out backwards and helped Addison up onto her lap.

"Did you draw a picture of you and Mac?" Stella questioned.

"No, silly. I drawed a picture of all of us!" Addison declared proudly. "Look, it's our family."

_Our family._ The words rang in Stella's ears.

Stella's hands trembled slightly as she held out the piece of paper. Addison looked down at her picture with pride. She couldn't see the tears welling up in Stella's eyes. Across the page were 5 stick-figures. They were all different heights and different colours. Underneath each figure was a name, written by Piper, signifying who each one was. In the middle, in bright pink crayon, was Addison. Piper was to the right in a blue colour and Finn was on her left in dark red. On the outside were Mac and Stella, both of them in purple. They had big smiles on their faces. This was how Addison saw her family.

"Will he like it?" Addison asked eagerly.

"He'll love it" Stella said, her voice catching. "It's beautiful."

By the time Mac came home, Addison's picture was stuck to the fridge, so everyone could see it. Every 10 minutes or so, Addison would run into the kitchen, just to make sure that the picture was still there. Other than Piper, no-one had ever appreciated her pictures before, and they certainly had never been put up on display before. Mac scooped Addison up into his arms so she could show him the picture. She gladly pointed out each person and ran her finger along the names underneath.

"I'll just go and get changed and we can leave." Mac said, planting a kiss on Stella's cheek.

Even after all this time, Stella still couldn't stop herself from blushing. Piper smiled to herself when she saw the colour spring up on Stella's cheeks. She'd never been in a home where a relationship had been truly loving and stable. All of her mother's boyfriends had been violent and abusive and not just to Gina, but to the children as well. Mac and Stella were in love, anyone could see that.

"Are we all ready?" Mac said, holding out Stella's coat for her.

"Let's go" Stella slipped her arms into the coat sleeves.

They decided to walk to the restaurant since it was a clear night. Finn sat proudly on top of Mac's shoulders. He looked excitedly over the city, feeling like he was on top of the world.

"Stella, are restaurants good like home?" Addison asked.

"Sometimes they're even better!" Stella laughed, taking hold of Addison's hand.

At the restaurant, the 5 of them squashed into a booth at the back of the room. They wanted a little privacy and quiet so they could tell the children the news. Throughout the whole meal, Mac and Stella couldn't help but give each other sly, knowing looks. The looks were so quick that Piper couldn't be quite sure that they had really happened.

"Why do you guys keep looking at each other like that?" Piper questioned.

"Like what?" Stella frowned, confused.

"You keep looking at each other weird." Piper stated. Her face fell, like she suddenly twigged onto something. "This is our last night isn't it, that's why you took us out to dinner. Like a...last supper."

"Sweetie no, that's not it at all." Stella comforted. She moved her hand closer to Piper's side of the table.

Piper didn't seem convinced. She looked a little teary, like any minute she was going to breakdown. Under the table, her hands were gripped tightly on the edge of her seat. She had to stop herself from visibly trembling. Piper knew she was going to have to leave at some point, she just didn't think it would be so soon.

"It's quite the opposite in fact." Mac said calmly.

Now it was Piper's turn to look confused. Mac and Stella gave each other another sly look. Piper's hand's still felt uncomfortably shaky. She still had a tight grip on her seat and the lump in her throat told her she was still on the verge of crying.

"Custody has been signed over. You're staying with us." Mac smiled.

Piper shook her head, almost unable to believe what she had just heard. The tears came, and she made no effort to stop them. They were tears of joy and she didn't care who saw them. She lifted her trembling hands from under the table and gripped hold of Stella.

"Pipes, stop being silly." Addison shook her head and wiped the tears from Piper's cheeks.

"Really? We can really stay?" Piper said through her tears. "Addie, you wanna stay with Mac and Stella forever?"

"Yeah!" Addison stood up on her seat and punched the air excitedly.

"What about you Finn? Do you want to stay with us, and be a real family?" Mac asked, lifting Finn onto his lap.

"Uh-huh." Finn nodded sleepily.

Seeing Piper so happy was enough to bring Stella to the brink of tears. This was her family. It was her family with the love of her life. Mac put his arm around Stella and pulled her in closer. Her planted a kiss on her temple and rubbed her shoulder.

Mac had never felt happier. Now, he couldn't wait to get his children and his fiancé home - to their home. This was the start of their life together. The only thing left was the wedding. A wedding which his son and his two daughters would have starring roles. This was better than the future he and Stella had planned.


	8. Looking Ahead

**A/N: It has been a long time since my last update. The aim was to get the next chapter finished before I uploaded this one, but it had been way too long and I still can't write. So I'm not saying this story is on hiatus, but until I get out of this funk I'm in, it may be a while until you get another chapter. I'm so sorry, and if you do still read this, thank you for sticking by it!  
Bx**

* * *

_**Chapter Eight**_

The air was much colder once they had left the restaurant. Stella carried Finn, his head rested on her shoulder and his eyes were tightly shut. She tried her best to cover him with her coat. Mac cradled Addison in his arms, as if she were a baby. She tried desperately to keep her eyes open but it was becoming too much of a struggle. They weren't even halfway down the block when Mac felt her grow heavier in his arms as she fell asleep. Piper walked between Mac and Stella. She was slightly jealous that she wasn't able to have the same closeness from her new parents but she was thrilled that her brother and sister were finally able to get the love they deserved.

"You doing okay?" Mac asked gently after noticing Piper hadn't said anything since they had left.

"Yeah, thanks." Piper replied quietly.

Mac kept his gaze on Piper. She looked like she had more to say, but she couldn't put the words together. In some ways, this was absolutely true. She had so much to say and not enough ways to say it. She didn't feel like "thank you" exactly covered how she felt.

"It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" Stella offered.

Piper nodded and looked down at the ground. She stuck her hands awkwardly in her jackets pockets. Stella shuffled Finn on her hip so that she had an arm free. She wrapped it around Piper's shoulder and pulled her in a bit closer. It was the touch of affection and reassurance that Piper needed. It wasn't just Addison and Finn who were getting the love they deserved, she was getting it too.

With Addison and Finn in bed, Stella, Mac and Piper sat up in the living room. A late night talk show was playing quietly in the background as they chatted and drank cups of freshly made hot cocoa.

"What's going to happen now?" Piper asked, setting her mug down on the table. "Do we just get to stay here?"

"Well Mac and I still have some paperwork and other boring things to do but, it's nothing you need to worry about." Stella said reassuringly.

Piper obviously wasn't used to the idea of not worrying. She still had a troubled look on her face. Her forehead was knotted with concern and she wouldn't look up from her lap. It was almost like she didn't believe them, like it was too good to be true.

"What's going to happen to my mom?" She whispered fearfully.

Mac and Stella looked at each other hesitantly. They were both waiting for the other to speak first. Piper waited nervously for an answer.

"She's being charged..." Mac stopped himself from listing all of Gina's charges. He wanted to spare Piper. "There will be a trial and she will go to prison."

He said it with such certainty that Piper actually believed him. She sat quietly for a few minutes before say goodnight and excusing herself from the room. She got ready for bed quickly. As she lay in bed, she smiled and a tear rolled down her cheek. She finally felt she had escaped her nightmare.

Stella and Mac stayed up in the living room for most of the night. They had children now. Their whole life had changed in the space of a week. Juggling work and raising a family was going to be difficult but they could do it. Stella got out of the armchair and curled up next to Mac on the couch. She settled herself into his side and yawned.

"I know you're supposed to be at work tomorrow, but can't you stay home instead?" Stella asked, looking up at her fiancé.

"For you, for our family," Mac paused and kissed the top of Stella's head. "Anything."

"Thank you." She kissed him back, her fingertips lingering on his cheeks.

They stayed snuggled on the couch, not saying anything. Every so often Mac would run his hands through Stella's curls or she would trace a small love heart shape on his stomach.

"I never thought this would happen." Stella sighed dreamily.

"Thought what wouldn't happen?" Mac frowned slightly.

"Us. Us getting married. Us having a family." She closed her eyes and nuzzled her head against his chest.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Mac lifted her hand up and kissed her fingers.

His lips grazed against her engagement ring and his heart skipped a beat. Mac was rarely one to outwardly express his feelings, and he admitted that. Before Stella, he kept his heart locked away in his gun safe. Stella changed everything. She had a care-free and open outlook on life. If she felt something, she wasn't afraid to let everyone know. Like all women, she kept a few things close to her heart, but that was one of the most endearing things about her. He was completely and hopelessly in love.

Stella yawned and stretched up so she could kiss Mac. She stood up from the couch grabbed the mugs from the coffee table. Sensing that she would soon be going to bed, Mac got up from the couch and switched off the television. He followed her into the kitchen.

"You're leaving me?" Mac whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist as she stood at the kitchen sink.

"No" She smirked. "I knew you'd follow."

Mac kissed the back of her neck and her soft skin quickly erupted with goose bumps at the touch of his lips. She felt her heartbeat quicken. Stella turned around so that she was facing Mac. He leaned forward and kissed her again. She felt her breath catch and her heart jumped. Her whole body felt hyper-sensitive.

"It's too bad we now have a house full of kids." Mac whispered, his lips almost touching hers.

"We can adapt, Taylor." She winked before running off upstairs.

He shook his head and smiled. On his way out of the kitchen he switched off the light. He lingered slightly longer than he should've, knowing Stella would be upstairs impatiently waiting. This would be fun.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Stella woke up with a satisfied smiled on her face. She was sure her skin was still blushing pink from last night's activities. She quickly glanced at the clock on the bedside table. If they were lucky, the children wouldn't get up for another 2 hours. She lay her head back down on the pillow, closer to Mac this time and closed her eyes in a vague attempt at going back to sleep, though she knew her brain was far too wired.

Instead she thought about the children, _her_ children, and counted her blessings. While she may be in the police force now, growing up in the foster care system it was a very different story. She was usually the one on the other side of the law. She was the runaway, the delinquent and the hooligan. Stella knew she was one of the lucky ones, really. Things could've been a lot worse and she could've got in a lot more trouble. Everything had changed at a school careers day. Talking to real police officers and detectives opened up a whole new world to her. She could do good in the city she loved. From then on she vowed to change her behaviour. She worked hard at school and discovered she had a real talent for maths and science. College had brought its own challenges, like juggling two part time jobs and a boyfriend she didn't really like. Getting a degree in forensic sciences and criminology hadn't been easy, but she had done it.

Now, nearly 20 years later, she was second in command of the New York City Crime Lab. The head of the crime lab and her partner had quickly become her best friend, then her lover and now her fiancé. They were the proud parents of 3 beautiful and intelligent children. It didn't matter that they weren't biologically theirs, Stella and Mac loved them unconditionally.

With her head now resting on his chest, her dark curls tickling the underside of the chin, it was like he could hear her thoughts. Mac's eyes flickered open slowly as he adjusted to the early morning light. The first thing her saw was the mass of beautiful curls in front of him. He lifted his hand, which was dangling from the side of the bed, and placed it on top of Stella's hand. She didn't respond at first, she just enjoyed the silence and them being together.

"Mornin'" Mac said sleepily, kissing the top of Stella's head.

Stella re-adjusted herself so that she could look up at Mac. He still looked sleepy, and a little grumpy, but that ever-familiar rush of love washed over her. She was sure she looked a mess since it was still early in the morning, but he didn't think so.

"Good morning." She touched her lips to his cheek and smiled.

"Sleep well?" He whispered knowingly.

"Incredibly well, actually." Stella laughed quietly.

Mac opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when Stella pressed her index finger to his lips. He looked down at her in confusion, not understanding why he was being silenced. Stella grinned and gestured her head towards the door. Sure enough, it was slowly pushed open and a little smiling faced poked in. Addison stood waiting for Mac or Stella to gesture her inside, which they did. She ran quickly across the soft carpet and hopped up onto the bed. She padded across the bedcovers and forced herself between Mac and Stella.

"Are you staying with me today?" Addison looked up at Stella and held onto her hand.

"Yep. And guess who else is staying?" Stella smiled as Addison started playing with her hair. Addison shrugged like she didn't really care.

Mac poked his finger into the little girl's ribcage, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles. She looked up at Mac with shock realization and grinned.

"Mac is staying home?" Addison squealed between laughter, she turned to face Stella.

Mac nodded and smiled. "Now, you wanna come help me make some coffee?"

Addison nodded enthusiastically. Mac sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Addison climbed onto his back and held on tight. He carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Mac let Addison switch the coffee machine on and she watched, fascinated, as the pot slowly filled with the dark liquid. Mac poured Addison a small plastic cup of milk and she drank it happily before returning to watch the coffee pot.

Upstairs, Piper woke up and rubbed her eyes. The content feeling she had before she went to sleep had quickly disappeared. She hadn't escaped her nightmare. It still plagued her in her sleep. She had woken up several times in the night in a cold sweat. Memories of her time at her mothers and her time on the street all come flooding back to her.

Getting out of bed, Piper quietly made her way down to Stella and Mac's bedroom. She knocked on their bedroom door. Stella called her into the room and Piper slowly opened the door. It still hadn't sunk in that this was her home now. She still felt like a guest. It was going to take some getting used to. As Piper walked over to bed, Stella pulled back the covers so that Piper could climb in. She lay down in the bed and cuddled up close to Stella.

"Everything okay?" She asked, kissing the top of Piper's head.

Piper didn't say anything; she just shook her head and frowned. Stella stroked her hand through Piper's hair. She gave a moment to think quietly to herself.

"You wanna talk about it?" Stella offered.

"Nightmares" Piper shuddered. "I just keep remembering...old stuff and it wakes me up, like, shivering. They're getting worse."

"I don't want to push you into anything, but maybe we could go and see a therapist?" Stella softly suggested.

"Can I think about it first?" Piper looked up at Stella.

Stella nodded and hugged Piper a little tighter. As much as Stella desperately wanted Piper to go, she knew that she couldn't force. That was the worst thing she could do.

"Pipes!" Addison said excitedly, running into the room.

Addison jumped up onto the bed and hugged her big sister. Mac followed in shortly after, two mugs of coffee in his hands. He smiled contently at the sight in front of him; his three favourite girls. He handed one mug to Stella and took a sip from the other as he carefully sat down on the edge of the bed.

The four of them were in the middle of making plans for the day when Finn sleepily stumbled into the room. He had his new teddy bear clutched tight to his chest. He made his way over to Mac and lifted his arms up.

"Mornin' buddy." Mac said quietly.

With everyone in the bed, it was a bit of a squeeze but they were comfortable. The children laughed and joked, while Mac and Stella drank their coffee and chatted. These were the family moments Stella had always dreamed of. This was what she had always wanted.


	9. Papa Taylor

**A/N: An update! Miracles do happen! Okay, I worked my butt off to get this chapter done for you all. It's been re-written 3 times. It may not be the longest chapter but I really hope you enjoy it regardless. Thank you all for being so patient with me! Let me know what you think! :)  
Bx**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

The day following the granting of custody was the most perfect day Mac Taylor could ever imagine.

There was no exact plan for the day, but the weather was warm and they wanted to be outside for as much of it as possible. There had been talk of swimming, bike-rides and the petting zoo.

Stella took Piper and Addison downstairs to begin making breakfast while Mac agreed to take on the challenge of getting Finn into the bath. He ran the water and reached over for the bubble bath, only to be greeted by Finn's disapproving glare.

"What, no bubbles?" Mac questioned.

"Bubbles is for girls." Finn crossed his arms and stamped his foot on the ground.

"Okay, no bubbles." Mac held up his hands in defeat.

It took a lot of coaxing, and a little bit of bribery, but Mac finally managed to get Finn into the bath.

"We go to the park, Mac?" Finn asked as a splash of bath water washed over his soapy head.

"We sure will buddy. Maybe we'll even get ice cream." Mac chuckled at the boys' excited eyes.

Finn giggled and splashed around in the water, enjoying the one-to-one attention from his new daddy. In his incredibly short life, Finn had never had a role-model like Mac. To Finn, Mac was a superhero. A real-life Captain America, and in Finn's eyes, nothing was cooler than Captain America.

Mac wrapped Finn in a large fluffy towel and carried him, upside down, into the little boys' bedroom. Finn wriggled and tried to escape Mac's clutches but he didn't put up much of a fight and was eventually dumped onto the mattress.

"So, what are you going to wear today young man?" Mac asked, turning to face the wardrobe.

Finn shrugged and began jumping on the bed. "Mama Stella always picks me clothes. I wanna wear same as you."

Fashion was a mystery to Mac. To him, one pair of jeans was exactly like another pair. A polo shirt was a polo shirt weather it was blue or green but to Finn it mattered greatly. He shook his head at each pair of jeans Mac produced until he got a pair that was the same shade of dark blue. He refused to put on the orange 'Trouble Maker' t-shirt because Mac's t-shirt was black.

When Mac walked into the kitchen, his mini-me sitting on his shoulders, Stella couldn't help but laugh. She walked up to Mac and kissed him gently on the lips. She felt Finn tap her twice on the ahead. Stella stood on her tiptoes and kissed Finn, who had leant down towards her. Mac flipped Finn over his shoulder and stood him down on the floor.

Piper, Addison and Finn all sat around the table and ate breakfast. Mac and Stella stood back behind the kitchen counter. They watched the way the three of them interacted. Despite everything they had been through, they each had smiles on their faces. They were laugh and joking, like nothing had happened. It was heart-warming. Stella snaked her arm around Mac's waist and buried her head in his chest.

"Stella Bonasera, are you crying?" Mac whispered into the top of her head.

"No..." She sniffed defiantly.

Despite what she said, Mac could feel her tears seeping on the fabric of his shirt. Instead of calling her out on it, Mac held her closer and used his thumb to rub her spine. Stella sniffled again, before rubbing the corners of her eyes.

"They look happy, don't they? It's not just wishful thinking, they do look happy." Stella whispered.

"They're happy. You made them happy."

"We did, Mac." She tapped her index finger on his chest before changing the subject. "I spoke to Piper earlier. She said she'd think about seeing a therapist. I just don't know how much I can really help her."

"Stell, we can help her by being there for her. As long as she knows we're looking out for her best interest, that's helping her. You did the thing." Mac pressed his lips to her temple, reassuringly.

"I'm...gunna go and get ready." She kissed Mac again and quickly exited the room.

Watching his fiancé leave the room, Mac couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face. He'd never loved anyone like he loved Stella. For the longest time, she was all he needed. They were the couple that never should've worked. Both strong personalities, they butted heads over the smallest things but that's what made their relationship so solid.

"You have that weird dreamy look in your eye." Piper stated, making Mac jump out of his daze.

"What weird dreamy look?" Mac laughed, leaning back against the counter top.

He watched Piper widen her eyes and a glassy stare washed across them; she didn't even blink. It wasn't long before she started to break and began to laugh at her own impression.

"Okay, very funny." Mac smirked. "You done with your breakfast?"

Piper nodded and tightened the bun in her hair. Mac opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't quite get the words out. Instead, he just bit down on his lip and narrowed his eyes. He shook his head, dismayed by his inability to talk to Piper. He could spend hours talking to witnesses or bereaved family members and even longer interrogating suspects. This shouldn't be so difficult.

"Stella told you what she said to me this morning, didn't she? You look like all the social workers that never knew really what to say to me." Piper paused and awkwardly smiled. "It's okay though, I wouldn't know what to say to me either."

"I know what I want to say, I just..." Mac began his sentence.

"So say it." Piper shrugged, not allowing Mac chance to finish.

Mac took a deep breath and quickly thought about how to word what he wanted to say.

"Talking to someone, a doctor or a therapist can be daunting. You have to relive things you wanted to forget. You have to look at yourself in a new way. You have to completely open yourself up to someone you don't know." Mac paused. He could almost see the walls building up in front of her. "However, it's also life changing. It's a chance to free yourself of the thing that's holding you back. It's the chance for a fresh start."

Mac expected a defensive reply from the teenager. What he didn't expect was for her to wrap her arms around his back and began sobbing into his chest. It took him quite by surprise. Without thinking, he put his arms around her and held her tightly. Even when it felt like her tears were beginning to subside, he didn't let go. Out of the 3 children, Piper had suffered the hardest for the longest.

"I don't want to feel sad anymore Mac." Piper cried quietly.

"You don't have to Piper. I'm not going to let you." Mac rubbed her back until eventually, Piper stopped crying.

"Thanks, Mac." She whispered, hugging him once more before letting go.

Piper swiftly left the room for fear of starting to cry again. Mac followed her, treading quietly, just to make sure she was okay. He watched her running quickly up the stairs and rubbing her eyes furiously. Mac turned back into the kitchen to see the littlest Samuels siblings staring up at him. He crouched down in front of them.

"Is Pipes sad at you?" Finn asked curiously, the concern for his sister evident in his eyes.

"Piper is just...having a rough time. She'll be okay." Mac picked up Finn and Addison and carried them out of the kitchen.

"You can get Pipes a ice-cream, okay?" Addison said cheerily.

The morning went a lot more smoothly after that. No more tears from anyone and everyone left the house with a smile. They made their way towards Central Park with the promise of ice-cream upon arrival. Piper walked on ahead with Finn on her back and Addison tightly clutching her hand. Mac and Stella held back, letting the three children spend time together and giving them some time to talk.

"Do you think she'll ever stop being a mom to those two?" Stella wondered, running her index finger up and down Mac's forearm.

"She's done it for so long...she's never known anything else." He replied. "We had a little talk this morning. I think she's going to go to the therapist. We're getting somewhere, Stell."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

For the rest of the day, Mac and Stella made a conscious effort not to mention anything to do with the trial, with their mother or with therapy. This was a day about family – a new family. They hadn't had long together; they had a lot of time to make up for and a lot of memories to make.

The sun was beginning to set as they rounded the corner on to their street. Everyone was contentedly exhausted. They had managed to do the petting zoo, the park, boating on the lake, ice cream for lunch and burgers for dinner. Finn was having so much that he pitched a fit just before they left the restaurant but was too tired to actually commit too it. It wasn't difficult for Stella to scoop him up and drag him out the door.

"It'll be straight to bed when we get home, Mister." Stella said softly to Finn, who was rested on her hip.

"I'm not arguing with that." Mac whispered in her ear, causing her cheeks to flush pink.

"You're terrible." She chuckled, unlocking the door.

Between the two adults and Piper, Addison and Finn were tucked into bed within the first half an hour of getting home. Piper didn't stay up much longer either, opting instead to go and read in bed.

"Back to work tomorrow?" Stella asked as she slid a glass of wine across the kitchen counter top.

"Afraid so" Mac took hold of the glass. "You planning on coming back anytime soon?"

"I will, once everyone is in school. But for now, they're my priority." Stella admitted.

"Any luck finding schools for them all?" Mac leant against the counter opposite Stella.

"Finn is easy enough, and Addison shouldn't be too hard, but Piper? Its gunna be hard finding a place so late in the school year. I'm hoping we'll be able to go visit one next week but who knows." Stella replied, sounding concerned.

"We'll work something out." He reassured her, moving forward and resting his hand on hers. "And tomorrow, I'll call a therapist; one recommended by the department and set up an appointment. Even if she decides not to go, she can decide for herself."

Stella moved forward, a gentle smile on her face. She pressed her lips to Mac's cheek and kissed him. "You are a great father, Mac Taylor."


End file.
